Download Ecuador Public Administration Country Profile

REPUBLIC OF
ECUADOR
Public Administration
Country Profile
Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM)
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)
United Nations
November 2007
All papers, statistics and materials contained in the Country Profiles express entirely the opinion of the mentioned authors.
They should not, unless otherwise mentioned, be attributed to the Secretariat of the United Nations.
The designations employed and the presentation of material on maps in the Country Profiles do not imply the expression
of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country,
territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents........................................................................................... 1
Ecuador ........................................................................................................ 2
1. General Information ................................................................................... 5
1.1 People.................................................................................................. 5
1.2 Economy .............................................................................................. 5
1.3 Public Spending ..................................................................................... 6
1.4 Public Sector Employment and Wages....................................................... 6
2. Legal Structure .......................................................................................... 7
2.1 Legislative Branch.................................................................................. 7
2.2 Executive Branch ................................................................................... 7
2.3 Judiciary Branch .................................................................................... 8
2.4 Local Government.................................................................................. 8
3. The State and Civil Society .......................................................................... 9
3.1 Ombudsperson ...................................................................................... 9
3.2 Civil Society and NGOs ........................................................................... 9
4. Civil Service .............................................................................................10
4.1 Legal basis...........................................................................................10
4.2 Recruitment .........................................................................................10
4.3 Promotion............................................................................................10
4.4 Remuneration ......................................................................................10
4.5 Training...............................................................................................10
4.6 Gender................................................................................................11
5. Ethics and Civil Service ..............................................................................12
5.1 Corruption ...........................................................................................12
5.2 Ethics..................................................................................................12
6. e-Government ..........................................................................................14
7. Links .......................................................................................................15
7.1 National sites .......................................................................................15
7.2 Miscellaneous sites................................................................................15
1
Ecuador
Brazil
Click here for map of Latin America and the Caribbean
Government type
Republic
Independence
24 May 1822 (from Spain)
Constitution
10 August 1998
Legal system
Based on civil law system;
has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Administrative divisions
Source: The World Factbook -Ecuador
22; Azuay, Bolivar, Canar,
Carchi, Chimborazo,
Cotopaxi, El Oro,
Esmeraldas, Galapagos,
Guayas, Imbabura, Loja, Los
Rios, Manabi, MoronaSantiago, Napo, Orellana,
Pastaza, Pichincha,
Sucumbios, Tungurahua,
Zamora-Chinchipe
Source: The World Factbook – Ecuador
2
Ecuador
is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by
Colombia on the north, by Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean on
the west. The country also includes the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific, about 965
kilometers (600 miles) west of the mainland. Ecuador straddles the equator, from
which it takes its name. Its capital city is Quito; its largest city is Guayaquil.
Control over territory in the Amazon basin led to a long-lasting dispute between
Ecuador and Peru. In 1941, amid fast-growing tensions between the two countries,
war broke out. Peru claimed that Ecuador's military presence in Peruvian-claimed
territory was an invasion; Ecuador, for its part, claimed that Peru had invaded
Ecuador. In July 1941, troops were mobilized in both countries. Hostilities erupted on
July 5, 1941, when Peruvian forces crossed the Zarumilla River at several locations,
testing the strength and resolve of the Ecuadorian border troops. Finally, on July 23,
1941, the Peruvians launched a major invasion, crossing the Zarumilla River in force
and advancing into the Ecuadorian province of El Oro.
During the course of the war, Peru gained control over all the disputed territory and
occupied the Ecuadorian province of El Oro, now Tumbes, and some parts of the
province of Loja (65% of the former country), demanding that the Ecuadorian
government give up its territorial claims. The Peruvian Navy blocked the port of
Guayaquil, cutting supplies to the Ecuadorian troops. After a few weeks of war and
under pressure by the U.S. and several Latin American nations, all fighting came to a
stop. Ecuador and Peru came to an accord formalized in the Rio Protocol, signed on
January 29, 1942, in favor of hemispheric unity against the Axis Powers in World War
II. As a result of its victory, Peru was awarded the disputed territory. It would take
two more undeclared wars before a peace agreement was finally reached in 1999 to
end hostilities.
Although Ecuador marked 28 years of civilian governance in 2007, the period has
been marred by political instability. Starting with the mishandling of the country's
debt during the 1970s military regime, the country has essentially been rendered
ungovernable. Since the mid 1990s, the government of Ecuador has been
characterized by a weak executive branch that struggles to appease the ruling
classes represented in the legislative and judiciary. Protests in Quito have
contributed to the mid-term ouster of Ecuador's last three democratically elected
Presidents during the period 1996-2006.
In January 2007, Rafael Correa took the presidential office for a four-year term as a
result of an overwhelming victory in the September 2006 elections. New presidential
and congressional elections may however be possible as early as 2008 depending on
the conclusions of the Constituent Assembly elected in September 2007.The
elections represented a power struggle for dominance between the traditional
political parties and new political forces. The government has argued that a
constitutional reform is needed to remove politicization in regulatory agencies and
the judiciary and reduce the concentration of power in the political parties.
The assembly is intended to limit the power of the traditional, pro-rich parties and
Congress, which are regarded to be extremely corrupt, and allow greater democratic
participation by the community through decreasing electorate sizes and allowing the
recall of all elected officials. The traditional parties see the assembly as a threat to
3
their power, and refused to allow it without securing immunity from the assembly’s
power for the 100-seat Congress.
The majority party of the Constituent Assembly is the Acuerdo Pais (AP), a coalition
led by Correa. The majority election of the AP to the Constituent Assembly reflects
public disillusionment with the traditional parties who have typically been more
interested in their own positions than advancing a reform agenda.
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit- Ecuador Country Report; Government of Ecuador-Politics,
www.presidencia.gov.ec/secciones
4
1. General Information
1.1 People
Ecuador
Argentina
Chile
Population
1
a
13,060,993
38,428
15,806
Female estimated population (,000), 2005
6,511,480
19,592
7,982
Male estimated population (,000), 2005
6,549,513
18,836
7,824
Sex ratio (males per 100 females), 2005
--
96
98
1.2
1.17
1.23
Total estimated population (,000), 2005
Average annual rate of change of pop. (%), 2000-2005
Youth and Elderly Population
b
Total population under age 15 (%), 2005
32.6
27
27
Female population aged 60+ (%), 2005
8.4 i
15
12
--
12
10
Male population aged 60+ (%), 2005
Human Settlements
c
Urban population (%), 2005
62.8
88
Rural population (%), 2005
37.8
12
14
Urban average annual rate of change in pop. (%), ‘00-‘05
2.29
1.35
1.48
Rural average annual rate of change in pop/ (%), ‘00-‘05
0.2
-0.06
-0.72
86
Education
d
Total school life expectancy, 2000/2006
--
Female school life expectancy, 2000/2006
--
Male school life expectancy, 2000/2006
--
i
14.3
i
15
i
13.5
ii
13
1
13
1
13
iii
Female estimated adult (15+) illiteracy rate (%), 2005
9.1
3.2
4.4
Male estimated adult (15+) illiteracy rate (%), 2005
6.1
3.2ii
4.1iii
Employment
1
2
2
e
Unemployment rate (15+) (%), 2006
--
15iv
7.9vi
1
iv
Female adult (+15) economic activity rate (%), 2006
22.04
44
35vi
2
Male adult (+15) economic activity rate (%), 2006
56.07
73iv
73vi
2
i
Notes: Age group 60+ as % of total population; Excluding the rural population of Rondonia, Acre, Amazonas, Roraima, Par and Amap, Month of
September; v Aged 10 years and over, Months of May and October, 28 urban agglomerations; vi 2005, Fourth quarter of year
1.2 Economy
Ecuador
Argentina
Chile
56,509
102,191
64,154
GDP
2
a
GDP total (millions US$), 2006
2,499
2,694
4,118
24.5
401,817
148,945
2,720
10,594
9,561
6.5
11.1
8.8
Value added in industry (% of GDP), 2006
45.7
34.8
34.3
Value added in services (% of GDP), 2006
47.8
54.1
56.9
178.7
10.7
4.4
GDP per capita (US$), 2006
PPP GDP total (millions int. US$), 2006
PPP GDP per capita(int. US$), 2006
Sectors
b
Value added in agriculture (% of GDP), 2006
Miscellaneous
c
GDP implicit price deflator (annual % growth), 2006
Private consumption (% of GDP), 2006
64.9
62.7
63.3
Government consumption (% of GDP), 2006
11.0
11.4
11.4
1
United Nations Statistics Division:
Statistics Division and Population Division of the UN Secretariat; b Statistics Division and Population Division of the UN
Secretariat; c Population Division of the UN Secretariat; d1 UNESCO ; d2 UNESCO; e1 ILO; e2 ILO/OECD
2
World Bank - Data and Statistics:
a
Quick Reference Tables; b Data Profile Tables ; c Country at a Glance
a
5
1.3 Public Spending
Ecuador
Argentina
Chile
Education (% of GNP), 1991
2.4
1.4i
3.3
a
Education (% of GNP), 2002-05
6.4
3.5
3.6
a
Public expenditures
i
Health (% of GDP), 1990
--
4.2
2.2
Health (% of GDP), 2002-05
4.3
2.4ii
2.7
Military (% of GDP), 1990
2.4
1.3
3.6
b
Military (% of GDP), 2005
2.0
1.3
3.3
b
Total debt service (% of GDP), 1990
7.9
4.4
9.1
5.9
9.6
8.7
Total debt service (% of GDP), 2005
Notes: i Data refer to the ministry of education only;
ii
1999
1.4 Public Sector Employment and Wages
Ecuador
1991-1995
Data from the latest year available
Ecuador
2002-2006
Latin
America &
Caribbean
averageii
1996-2000
Excluding
Caribbean
average4
1996-2000
Middle
income
group
average4
1996-2000
0.69
0.74
0.59
0.69
0.74
0.59
0.58
0.58
1.20
..
..
0.70
..
..
0.30
0.34
0.37
0.46
2.16
2.16
3.61
..
..
6.05
Employment
Civilian Central Governmentiii
Sub-national Government5
Education employees
Health employees
Police
Armed forces
SOE Employees
Total Public Employment
(,000)
(% pop.)
(,000)
(% pop.)
(,000)
(% pop.)
500.0
..
0.31
..
2,000
..
1.26
..
2,662
..
1.67
..
177.5
..
0.11
..
(,000)
..
..
(% pop.)
..
..
295.0
249.6
0.19
0.15
(,000)
..
..
(% pop.)
..
..
(,000)
..
..
(% pop.)
..
..
(,000)
(% pop.)
(,000)
(% pop.)
Wages
Total Central gov't wage bill
(% of GDP)
..
12.2
6.6
5.6
8.5
Total Central gov’t wage bill
(% of exp)
8.1
16.5
20.3
19.7
21.6
Average gov't wage
(,000 LCU)
..
..
Real ave. gov’t wage ('97 price)
(,000 LCU)
..
..
1.8
2.0
4.2
Average gov’t wage to per capita GDP ratio
..
..
Source: World Bank - Public Sector Employment and Wages
i
a
UNDP - Human Development Report 2007
Data refer to total public expenditure on education, including current and capital expenditures.
iii
Excluding education, health and police – if available (view Country Sources for further explanations).
6
2. Legal Structure
Ecuador
is a representative democracy. The government is divided into three
branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The country is separated into 21
provinces each of which is further divided into administrative municipalities
(cantones) and parishes (parroquias).
In 1998, a constitutional assembly was convened by popular mandate to revise
Ecuador's Constitution. The new constitution strengthened the executive branch by
eliminating mid-term congressional elections and by restricting Congress' power to
challenge and remove cabinet ministers. Also, soon after the new Constitution took
effect Congress passed a code of ethics that seeks to strengthen Ecuador's political
parties, which historically have been small and weak. The code of ethics imposes
penalties on party members who vote contrary to their party on key votes. A new
constitutional assembly, to be elected September 2008, will rewrite the constitution
yet again.
Sources Economic Intelligence Unit; Ecuador Country Report, National Government of Ecuador www.presidencia.gov.ec
2.1 Legislative Branch
Ecuador’s unicameral Congress is composed of 100 deputies.
Women in parliament as of 2006 elections: 25% 25 Seats out of 100.i
Ecuador's unicameral Congress passes laws, levies taxes, and
approves international treaties and an annual budget proposed by the
executive branch. Deputies are elected during multi-party elections for
a four year term and represent one of Ecuador's 22 provinces. Voting
is compulsory for all persons between the ages of 18 and 65.
Fact box::
Congressional
elections were
last held in
October 2006.
The President of the Congress, which had previously been elected by Congress as a
whole, according to the 1998 Constitution, is now chosen by the political party that
received the highest percentage of the national vote. The President of Congress
ranks after the President and Vice-President of the Republic.
Source: Congreso Nacional de Ecuador, www.congreso.gov.ec; Legislative Branch-Ecuador, Political Database of the
Americas, http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Legislative/legislative.
2.2 Executive Branch
Cabinet of ministers: Appointed by the president
Elections: Last held 4 December 2006 (next to be held December 2010, but constituent assembly could
impose new elections as soon as the end of 2008)
i
Inter-Parliamentary Union - Women in National Parliaments
7
The President of the Republic presides over the executive branch and is the
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The President is elected for
a four year term by popular vote. The President determines the Fact box:
Chief of state
number and functions of the ministries that comprise the executive and head of
branch and appoints the ministers of each bureau. The president also government:
appoints the cabinet and provincial governors.
Rafael Correra
Source: Political Database of the Americas, http://pdba.georgetown.edu/; U.S. Library of CongressEcuador Country Study
Delgado, took
office January
15 2007 for a
four year term
2.3 Judiciary Branch
The supreme judicial power is vested in the Supreme Court, which has 30 Justices divided among ten
chambers of three Justices each. Supreme Justices are elected for life terms
The judicial branch consists of three organs of equal status and importance: the
Supreme Court of Justice; the Fiscal Tribunal, which recognizes and resolves
controversies arising between the revenue collecting administration and the
taxpayers and determines tax obligations; and the Contentious Administrative
Tribunal, which is primarily responsible for recognizing and resolving controversies
arising in public administration. Located in Quito, these judicial bodies have
jurisdiction over all of the national territory.
Source: Consejo Nacional de la Judicatura, www.justiciaecuador.gov.ec
2.4 Local Government
The republic is divided administratively into provinces, municipalities, and parishes.
Provinces are governed by a governor, municipalities by a political chief, and
parishes by a political lieutenant. These officials all answer to, and are appointed by,
the president or the executive branch. The Ministry of National Defense administers
the Galápagos Islands.
Each of the twenty-one provinces has an autonomous provincial council, headed by a
prefect who has only a deciding vote in case of ties in the council. The council, which
has jurisdiction throughout the province and a seat in its capital, maintains public
services, carries out public works, coordinates municipal activities, and informs the
central government of budget expenditures.
All provincial and municipal officials are elected for a four year period by direct and
secret popular vote. In elections for mayor, president of the municipal council, and
provincial prefect, the candidates who obtain the greatest number of votes are
elected. Councils at both levels have functional, financial, and administrative
autonomy. Their legislative decisions are issued in the form of ordinances.
Source: Asociación de Municipalidades Ecuatorianas, www.ame.org.ec; U.S. Library of Congress-Ecuador Country Study
8
3. The State and Civil Society
3.1 Ombudsperson
Although Ecuador does not have an official Ombudsperson office, there are other
mechanisms that operate in promoting human rights. The Constituent Assembly,
which was convoked by the Supreme Electoral Court in March 2007, has various
representatives that are trying to guarantee the respect and promotion of human
rights. However, specific safeguards of human rights such as good governance,
appropriate legal structures, and impartial judicial institutions, are in a state of
instability and are therefore impeding the development of human rights.
Source: Derechos Humanos-Ecuador; www.derechos.org/ecuador
3.2 Civil Society and NGOs
Civil society in Ecuador has gained a more vocal role in governance issues since the
1990s, due in part by the public’s growing disillusionment with traditional channels of
political representation, increasing levels of public sector corruption, and weak formal
accountability mechanisms.
Both membership organizations of civil society and NGOs have played important
roles in representing the demands of citizens. Membership organizations have been
vocal advocates for the increased recognition of the rights of their members,
demanding a more accountable and more inclusive governance system. To voice
their discontent, these organizations have often resorted to staging mobilizations,
some of which have contributed to oust incumbent presidents and change the course
of political history. Such an example can be found in the impeachment of the
Ecuadorian president in 1997. Following the impeachment, a National Constituent
Assembly was called to draft a new Constitution. The new Constitution, which was
approved in 1998, marked the first time that civil society actors played a key role in
drafting the constitution and provided an opportunity for civil society to engage in a
new arena.
In recent years, a number of technically oriented NGOs have also emerged focusing
on governance issues, public sector transparency, and state accountability. Many use
a more collaborative approach of evidence-based negotiation and dialogue with the
state to effect change. There are 2,690 NGOs operating in Ecuador, including both
national and international organizations.
Sources: Civil Society’s Role in Ecuador; www.sitersources.worldbank.org; Consejo Nacional de Modernizacion- Ecuador;
www.ec-gov.net/; Programa de Proteccion Social-www.pps.gov.ec
9
4. Civil Service
4.1 Legal basis
On March 6th 1964, the Law of Civil Service and Administration was promulgated by
the Commission of Legislation. The law had been reformed substantially through
various laws and decrees and eventually codified in April of 1978. The general
disposition of the law is to guarantee efficiency in the public administration
throughout the country.
Source: Ley de Servicio Civil y Carrera Administrativa, www.oas.org/juridico/
4.2 Recruitment
Requirements for entrance into the civil service include satisfactory test scores on a
national competitive exam and legal eligibility. Civil service recruitment is also
contingent on position vacancies and candidate qualities. Candidates who are hired
as civil servants are subject to additional tests and evaluation processes during their
first six months of employment to ensure the candidate’s quality.
Source: Ley de Servicio Civil y Carrera Administrativa, www.oas.org/juridico/
4.3 Promotion
The administration of civil service endorses a merit and evaluative system that
guarantees the stability and suitability of servants. The National Director of
Personnel administers an annual quality evaluation of civil servants. The intention of
this evaluation is to stimulate the output and motivation of the workers by providing
incentives such as pay increase, promotions, and honorary mentions. Qualifications
for promotion include efficiency of the employees’ work, results of periodic
evaluation, and years of service.
Source: Ministerio de Obras Publicas- Ecuador; www.mtop.gov.ec
4.4 Remuneration
Details regarding the management of remuneration are outlined under Chapter XI,
Articles 78 through 83 of the Civil Service Law.
The Civil Service system of remuneration is carried out by the National Director of
Personnel. Salaries correspond and are adjusted according to the task and
responsibilities of civil servant positions.
Source Ley de Servicio Civil y Carrera Administrativa, www.oas.org/juridico/
4.5 Training
The State provides training programs that aim to improve and expand the knowledge
of civil servants. The National Director of Personnel plans and directs the training
courses that are obligatory for servants selected to partake in such courses.
Source: Ley de Servicio Civil y Carrera Administrativa, www.oas.org/juridico/
10
4.6 Gender
According to the Minister of Public Works, the participation of women in civil servant
positions is quite similar with the men’s sharing. Equal employment and salary
benefits are promoted on an equal basis, regardless or gender.
Source: Ministerio de Obras Publicas- Ecuador; www.mtop.gov.ec
11
5. Ethics and Civil Service
5.1 Corruption
2007 CPI Score relates to perceptions of the degree of corruption as seen by
business people and country analysts and ranges between 10 (highly clean) and 0
(highly corrupt).
Corruption Perceptions Index
2007 CPI
Score
Surveys
Used
Standard
Deviation
High-Low
Range
Number
Inst.
90 percent
confidence
range
Rank
Country
1
Highly clean
9.7
8
0.3
9.2 - 10.0
4
9.5 – 9.9
150
Ecuador
2.1
5
--
--
--
2.0 – 2.3
133
Highly corrupt
1.3
8
0.7
0.3 - 2.2
6
0.9 - 1.7
Source: Transparency International - Corruption Perceptions Index 2007
Surveys Used: Refers to the number of surveys that were used to assess a country's performance. 17 surveys were
used and at least 3 surveys were required for a country to be included in the CPI.
Standard Deviation: Indicates differences in the values of the sources. Values below 0.5 indicate agreement, values
between 0.5 and c. 0.9 indicate some agreement, while values equal or larger than 1 indicate disagreement.
High-Low Range: Provides the highest and lowest values of the sources.
Number Institutions: Refers to the number of independent institutions that assessed a country's performance. Since
some institutions provided more than one survey.
90 percent confidence range: Provides a range of possible values of the CPI score. With 5 percent probability the score
is above this range and with another 5 percent it is below.
Following the return to democracy in 1979, party splits, bureaucratic ineptitude and
rampant corruption proliferated. Important reform measures (civil service reform, tax
laws, banking regulation) stalled in a Congress dominated by fragmented parties and
vocal opponents with vested interests to protect. As the economic situation has
deteriorated since the 1980s, voters have reacted by blaming incumbents for their
troubles and by periodically backing populist, anti-party candidates. This trend, coupled
with the country’s economic problems and rampant corruption, has led to inconsistent
economic and political policies from one administration to the next, and to the inability of
elected presidents to complete their terms.
According to Transparency International, Ecuador is perceived as the second most
corrupt nation in Latin America after Paraguay. In 2003, a series of arms trafficking
scandals threatened to undermine the generally positive reputation of one of the
country’s most respected political institutions, the Ecuadorian military.
Source: Congressional U.S. Research Service Report, www.fas.org; Transparency International
5.2 Ethics
The Anticorruption Commission was created in February of 1997 to investigate acts
of corruption and monitor administrative officers and penal processes. In 1998, the
National Constituent Assembly transferred the responsibilities of the original
commission to the newly institutionalized Commission of Civic Control of Corruption
under Articles 220 and 221 of the 1998 Constitution of the Republic.
12
The Commission of Civic Control of Corruption is a constitutional organ that promotes
authentic citizen participation, and transparency in public administration in order to
prevent and fight corruption. The organization also aims to revitalize the collective
conscious of individuals while diminishing impunity measures through independent
investigations and sanctions.
Source: Comision de Control Civico de la Corrupcion www.comisionanticorrupcion.com
13
6. e-Government
6.1 e-Government UNPAN link:
The UN e-Government Readiness Knowledge Base provides extensive data and information on eGovernment Readiness and e-Participation and is frequently updated. The country profile for
Ecuador on this database can be found at the following website:
http://www.unpan.org/egovkb/ProfileCountry.aspx?ID=52
14
7. Links
7.1 National sites
Authority
Topic
Presidency of Republic
http://www.presidencia.gov.ec/
Government
http://www.presidencia.gov.ec/
National Archive
http://www.ane.gov.ec/ane/
Minister of Economics and Finance
http://mef.gov.ec/portal/
Association of Municipalities
http://www.ame.org.ec/
Consejo Nacional de la Judicatura
http://www.justiciaecuador.gov.ec/
Constitutions of Ecuador
http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Ecuador/ecuador.html
Minister of Politics and Government
http://www.mingobierno.gov.ec/
7.2 Miscellaneous sites
Institution
Topic
Centro Latinoamericano de Administración Para el
Desarrollo (CLAD)
http://www.clad.org.ec
Development Gateway
http://www.developmentgateway.org/countryprofile/...
European Union (EU)
http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/country/...
Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
http://www.iadb.org
Organization of American States (OAS)
http://www.oas.org
Unit for the Promotion of Democracy (UPD) - OAS
http://www.upd.oas.org
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
http://www.pnud.org.ec/
UNPAN
http://www.unpan.org/virtual_library-byregion.asp
World Bank (WB)
http://www.worldbank.org/ec
15